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About the Author

Cindy Conner, is a permaculture educator and founder of Homeplace Earth. She is the producer of two popular instructional DVDs entitled Develop a Sustainable Vegetable Garden Plan and Cover Crops and Compost Crops IN Your Garden. A former market gardener, Cindy was instrumental in establishing a sustainable agriculture program at her local community college which she taught for over a decade. Her passion is exploring growing a complete diet in a small space and getting food from garden to the table while minimizing the use of fossil fuels.

Seed Libraries

And Other Means of Keeping Seeds in the Hands of the People

Historically, seed companies were generally small, often family-run businesses. Because they were regionally-based, they could focus on varieties well-suited to the local environment. A Pacific Northwest company, for example, would specialize in different cultivars than a company based in the Southeast. However the absorption of these small, independent seed businesses into large multinationals, combined with the advancement of biotechnology resulting in hybrids and GMO seeds, has led to a serious loss of genetic diversity. The public is now at the mercy of the corporations who control the seeds.

In the past few years, gardeners have realized the inherent danger in this situation. A growing movement is striving to preserve and expand our stock of heritage and heirloom varieties through seed saving and sharing opportunities. Seed Libraries is a practical guide to saving seeds through community programs, including:

Step-by-step instructions for setting up a seed library

A wealth of ideas to help attract patrons and keep the momentum going

Examples of existing libraries and other types of seed saving partnerships.

Whoever controls the seeds controls the food supply. By empowering communities to preserve and protect the genetic diversity of their harvest Seed Libraries is the first step towards reclaiming our self-reliance while enhancing food security and ensuring that the future of food is healthy, vibrant, tasty and nutritious.

How to Set Up and Market a Food Business from Your Home Kitchen

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